Contents
Occupational Therapist Salary
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $24.28 | $30.06 | $36.25 | $43.40 | $51.47 |
| Annual Wage | $50,500 | $62,500 | $75,400 | $90,300 | $107,100 |
Occupational therapists are medically-trained to help patients recovering from injury, illness or a disability. They are charged with helping patients regain the skills necessary for everyday activities. Occupational therapists must have earned at least a master’s degree in occupational therapy, although some go on to obtain their doctoral degree. They must also meet their state’s licensing requirements. A breakdown of the full process of becoming an Occupational Therapist can be found here.
Occupational Therapist Salary
How much does an occupational therapist make? According to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, the lowest 10% of occupational therapists earn less than $50,500 per year, whereas the top 10% earn up to $107,070 per year. The median annual occupational therapy salary, defined as that figure where half the experienced occupational therapists earn less than that amount and half earn more, is $75,400.
Variables Impacting Salary
There are many variables impacting salary earnings for occupational therapists. Here are a few considerations that someone interested in becoming an occupational therapist may wish to keep in mind.
- Full vs. Part Time Employment – An occupational therapist who chooses to work part time as opposed to full time will necessarily earn less money. Occupational therapists typically work 40 hours per week; it is sometimes necessary to work evenings or weekends, depending upon the needs of the patient.
- Specialties – Obtaining certification within a specialized area of practice, such as pediatrics or mental health, may enable a therapist to earn a higher salary.
- Geographic Area of Practice – Occupational therapists working in Nevada and New Jersey earn the highest average salaries; the lowest annual salaries are earned by occupational therapists practicing in mid-western states like North and South Dakota.
Employment Opportunities
Occupational therapists work in hospitals, physical therapy offices, schools and nursing care facilities. They also work with speech therapists and audiologists. Therapists may expect to help lift patients when necessary. They often spend a great deal of time on their feet and may even need to travel from one location to another during the course of a day. In some instances, occupational therapists may even travel to visit patients in the home. This is often done in cases where the therapist is working with young children who are facing a physical or mental disability.
Job Outlook
The job outlook for occupational therapists is very good, as job opportunities are expected to increase by 29% between 2012 and 2022.
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Employment | % of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean salary |
| Home Health Care Services | 10,000 | 0.82 | $42.07 | $87,500 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | 120 | 0.04 | $41.39 | $86,100 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 9,730 | 0.59 | $40.62 | $84,490 |
| Insurance Carriers | 60 | 0.01 | $39.08 | $81,290 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 180 | 0.02 | $38.51 | $80,100 |
Salary Data
Salary By State
| State | 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% | Jobs (2010) | Jobs (2020) | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $39,500 | $54,500 | $70,000 | $86,200 | $98,600 | 1,120 | 1,580 | +41% |
| Alaska | $52,700 | $61,300 | $74,400 | $88,800 | $99,800 | 190 | 240 | +28% |
| Arizona | $44,900 | $60,300 | $77,300 | $90,200 | $105,700 | 1,630 | 2,050 | +26% |
| Arkansas | $47,300 | $59,300 | $75,300 | $89,500 | $104,300 | 1,020 | 1,140 | +12% |
| California | $60,300 | $75,900 | $87,500 | $100,600 | $114,100 | 9,000 | 11,200 | +24% |
| Colorado | $54,400 | $63,600 | $74,500 | $87,500 | $96,900 | 2,170 | 2,860 | +32% |
| Connecticut | $59,400 | $69,600 | $82,900 | $94,500 | $115,800 | 1,970 | 2,340 | +19% |
| Delaware | $53,100 | $63,400 | $73,400 | $87,900 | $103,100 | 360 | 440 | +24% |
| District of Columbia | $62,400 | $70,000 | $83,200 | $99,600 | $115,100 | 160 | 190 | +20% |
| Florida | $51,400 | $66,100 | $79,500 | $90,900 | $108,200 | 6,880 | 8,590 | +25% |
| Georgia | $49,400 | $62,300 | $75,900 | $89,300 | $100,600 | 1,680 | 2,080 | +24% |
| Hawaii | $52,900 | $62,200 | $72,100 | $82,300 | $90,000 | 380 | 460 | +20% |
| Idaho | $18,700 | $51,900 | $69,000 | $81,700 | $93,000 | 440 | 600 | +37% |
| Illinois | $37,900 | $60,500 | $75,500 | $90,400 | $106,100 | 4,190 | 5,000 | +19% |
| Iowa | $51,400 | $60,500 | $69,500 | $81,000 | $96,600 | 870 | 1,100 | +26% |
| Kansas | $53,200 | $64,300 | $77,600 | $90,800 | $106,000 | 990 | 1,320 | +33% |
| Kentucky | $57,400 | $65,900 | $76,900 | $91,600 | $109,000 | 1,430 | 1,950 | +36% |
| Louisiana | $46,400 | $56,500 | $71,100 | $86,100 | $97,200 | 1,430 | 1,860 | +31% |
| Maine | $42,800 | $52,800 | $65,700 | $76,500 | $92,800 | 1,000 | 1,140 | +13% |
| Maryland | $56,200 | $66,200 | $79,500 | $95,200 | $111,100 | 2,510 | 3,270 | +31% |
| Massachusetts | $52,000 | $62,500 | $75,200 | $88,000 | $97,100 | 4,570 | 5,580 | +22% |
| Michigan | $44,900 | $54,000 | $64,900 | $75,100 | $94,500 | 4,100 | 4,980 | +22% |
| Minnesota | $48,100 | $55,400 | $65,200 | $73,900 | $87,500 | 1,960 | 2,470 | +26% |
| Mississippi | $49,300 | $59,700 | $74,400 | $89,000 | $103,300 | 1,060 | 1,230 | +17% |
| Missouri | $49,100 | $58,800 | $70,600 | $83,600 | $94,000 | 2,600 | 3,040 | +17% |
| Montana | $49,500 | $58,400 | $67,000 | $74,400 | $85,900 | 260 | 350 | +34% |
| Nebraska | $49,800 | $58,700 | $71,000 | $86,900 | $102,800 | 870 | 1,060 | +21% |
| Nevada | $39,200 | $71,400 | $97,400 | $117,600 | $187,200+ | 740 | 910 | +23% |
| New Hampshire | $45,800 | $55,200 | $67,200 | $78,000 | $89,200 | 870 | 1,040 | +20% |
| New Jersey | $60,900 | $71,000 | $86,700 | $104,300 | $117,800 | 3,540 | 3,910 | +11% |
| New Mexico | $35,200 | $54,200 | $71,900 | $87,700 | $98,100 | 560 | 710 | +27% |
| New York | $49,900 | $61,800 | $71,900 | $87,400 | $107,400 | 8,770 | 10,220 | +17% |
| North Carolina | $49,400 | $61,200 | $73,200 | $86,700 | $96,300 | 2,470 | 2,910 | +18% |
| North Dakota | $35,500 | $48,200 | $56,100 | $67,100 | $79,700 | 370 | 440 | +20% |
| Ohio | $56,100 | $66,200 | $78,200 | $90,600 | $104,500 | 4,750 | 5,800 | +22% |
| Oklahoma | $29,700 | $41,700 | $64,200 | $86,500 | $100,700 | 1,240 | 1,630 | +32% |
| Oregon | $57,400 | $66,600 | $77,700 | $87,200 | $93,000 | 960 | 1,230 | 0% |
| Pennsylvania | $49,600 | $57,600 | $68,800 | $82,400 | $97,000 | 6,240 | 7,410 | +19% |
| Rhode Island | $52,500 | $64,000 | $74,000 | $90,000 | $112,300 | 520 | 630 | +21% |
| South Carolina | $51,200 | $62,000 | $74,400 | $86,700 | $94,800 | 1,270 | 1,640 | +29% |
| South Dakota | $48,900 | $53,600 | $61,300 | $72,700 | $83,100 | 350 | 400 | +16% |
| Tennessee | $55,600 | $65,300 | $75,500 | $88,500 | $97,900 | 2,130 | 2,820 | +33% |
| Texas | $55,300 | $66,700 | $81,700 | $96,900 | $126,000 | 7,590 | 10,210 | +34% |
| Utah | $54,000 | $63,800 | $75,200 | $87,700 | $95,500 | 500 | 690 | +39% |
| Vermont | $50,200 | $57,700 | $68,300 | $83,900 | $133,600 | 240 | 270 | +14% |
| Virginia | $53,100 | $68,600 | $83,300 | $94,700 | $112,000 | 2,470 | 3,240 | +31% |
| Washington | $53,800 | $65,600 | $78,400 | $88,400 | $94,800 | 2,130 | 2,640 | +24% |
| West Virginia | $30,200 | $53,700 | $73,400 | $102,400 | $115,600 | 620 | 760 | +24% |
| Wisconsin | $49,400 | $56,500 | $66,200 | $74,600 | $87,900 | 2,940 | 3,540 | +20% |
| Wyoming | $43,600 | $52,600 | $66,400 | $80,000 | $94,400 | 260 | 350 | +32% |
